THE SUPERVISOR/HR NEWSLETTER Helpful Resources from your Employee Assistance Program

May Online Seminar Raising Well-Adjusted Kids Review the current research and science behind raising well-adjusted kids. Learn tips to foster positive mental health in the children and teens in your life.

Available on-demand starting May 16th at www.deeroakseap.com

MAY 17 Supervisor Excellence Webinar Series & Leadership Certificate Program Below are recordings of the webinars presented so far this year as part of this series. Attendance is tracked for both the live and recorded sessions; therefore, viewing the below recordings will count toward the Leadership Certificate requirement of attending 5 out of the 6 webinars. Thinking for Success https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/recording/7693502043189076739 How to Motivate Your Employees https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/recording/1311003071536328962

Helpline: 888-993-7650 Web: www.deeroakseap.com Email: [email protected]

The 8 Key Skills for Effective Coaching The power of coaching has been recognized in many areas for many years. Astute managers and leaders are starting to see coaching skills as a vital addition to their personal effectiveness toolbox. So what are the key skills that managers need to develop? 1. Listening When growing up, we received formal education on reading and writing but not how to listen. Yet when it comes to business, listening is probably one of the most important skills to have. If as a manager you take on the role of coach, you need to learn to listen with real focus, suspending all of your judgements and opinions. You also need to be listening not just to the words but also to the non-verbal signals such as body language. 2. Questioning Most of us can ask questions. When coaching, you need to be using powerful questions. These are questions that: • • • •

Are short, typically 7 words or less Are open rather than closed Deepen the learning of the person being coached Move the person forward towards a goal

Examples include: • What do you want? • What’s important? • What’s the first step? 3. Constructively Challenging Challenging constructively is about not holding back but at the same time not destroying the relationship. Many people associate coaching with helping, which it clearly is. At the same time if the coaching never rocks the boat it just becomes another nice chat. Playing back contradictions is a great way of constructively challenging. For example: “I hear that you want to get your MBA, but at the same time, you seem to be resisting making the time for assignments.” 4. Holding To Account Accountability is one of the most powerful aspects of coaching. It has been suggested that people have a 95% chance of achieving an objective when they have accountability in place. When someone gives a commitment to doing something and they know that they will be held to account, it drives then forward. How effective are you at holding people to account as a manager?

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5. Seeing different perspectives Have you ever found yourself in a situation where it feels like you are pinned into a corner and there is no where to go? If so, chances are you were stuck in a perspective. When coaching, you need to be able to help your client to explore different perspectives, so that they can choose those that are most powerful. 6. Encouraging and supporting Encouraging and supporting when coaching can be the difference between someone keeping going or giving up. Acknowledging another person is an incredibly powerful way of keeping them motivated. 7. Trusting and using intuition We all have a hunch about something from time to time. Chances are that you have probably started to analyze it and make it logical or not. When coaching, your intuition is a powerful tool. Throw it out if it might be of benefit. The worst that can happen is that it is off the mark. 8. Keeping the focus on your client When you are in the role of coach, your focus needs to be 100% on your client and their agenda. What this means is putting all of the attention on the client and keeping your agenda out of the way. These 8 key skills can not only help you when coaching but also make you an even better manager or leader. Take time to assess where your strengths lie and where you need to develop. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Duncan Brodie helps accountants and professionals to be great leaders. Source: Free Articles from ArticlesFactory.com

Deer Oaks Supervisor/Manager Training & Professional Development Seminars Deer Oaks offers an array of supervisor/manager training and professional development seminar topics designed to provide practical managerial and interpersonal skills training for your managers and supervisors. Supervisors with strong interpersonal skills such as empathic listening, conflict resolution, and coaching have the ability to more effectively motivate their teams, and maximize the retention of their best employees. Sample topics include: Diversity in the Workplace: Maintaining an Inclusive Environment Leadership Essentials Managing Difficult Personalities Strengthening the Team: Building a Cohesive and Inclusive Team Communication Skills for Collaboration and Working Effectively with Others Coaching for Performance Contact Deer Oaks today to schedule a training for your group.

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Ask Your EAP! The following are answers to common questions supervisors have regarding employee issues and making EAP referrals. As always, if you have specific questions about referring an employee or managing a workgroup issue, feel free to make a confidential call to the EAP for a management consultation. Q. My employee has been absent for three weeks since the death of his mother. He phones to say he is dealing with estate issues. He has an attorney and family support. He is far past the five days of funeral leave we offer. I think a leave abuse issue exists, but should I refer him to the EAP? A. If you have a bereavement leave policy, consult with your HR advisor regarding suspected abuse. Employees on funeral leave, responsible for managing the affairs of the deceased, may experience additional distress or suffer from grief that affects them later because they postponed self-care while attending to the needs of others. Suggesting the EAP is always a good idea for any problem. Dozens of things could explain the absence, but you can refer your employee to the EAP based on a finding of funeral leave abuse. EAPs have discovered that problems like this often are multifaceted. An employee may be grief-stricken, depressed, abusing leave, relapsing into an addiction problem, looking for another job, taking vacation, or all of these things at the same time! This is why EAPs exist—to help sort out the issues and help organizations retain valuable workers. Q. I would like to identify employees who appear to have the most creativity and drive. Is there a way to easily spot these employees in a work environment that does not allow for much of either? A. Employees with creativity and drive tend to have skills often associated with entrepreneurial thinking. Meet with your employees regularly, and talk to them about what makes them excited and what makes them feel engaged. Keep the following in mind: Do you have employees who like dreaming up new ideas? Are any employees naturally prone to spotting new business opportunities? Do any employees consistently demonstrate their ability to spin positivity out of disappointment and see the silver lining of the cloud? Do you have employees who take initiative on the job to undertake something new without being asked? Evidence of these behaviors can often be spotted even in the most controlled, uninspiring, and limited work settings. Employees who are courageous and unafraid to think outside the box will find a way to get their needs met, even if it is not in your company, so working with your managers to create opportunities is one key strategy for retaining them and reaping the benefits of their talent. Q. We have a diverse work group of about 50 employees, and it is obvious to me that everyone gets along well. I never get complaints, and I witness no inappropriate interactions. Is diversity awareness education or training still needed? A. Diversity and inclusiveness awareness can be suitable for any workgroup, not necessarily because of existing problems but to reinforce and strengthen a positive work culture that already exists. Think “preventive maintenance.” Remember, if you have 50 employees, turnover is a natural part of the organizational process, and this alone could support a rationale for ongoing education. Many education programs enhance and reinforce existing strengths. A seminar on workplace communication is a good example. There is always more to know about it. Although you perceive a high-functioning and inclusive workgroup, you can never be sure that covert, unspoken, or unacknowledged biases exist and that they have been felt. Diversity awareness plays an intervening role in averting potential problems. Copyright © DFA Publishing, LLC Information contained in this newsletter is for general information purposes only and is not intended to be specific guidance for any particular supervisor or human resource management concern. Some of it might not apply to your particular company policies and available programs. This information is proprietary and intended only for eligible EAP members. For specific guidance on handling individual employee problems, consult with Deer Oaks by calling the Helpline.

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